# Question regarding 2-persin/4 person ballots **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 30, 2016, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-2-persin-4-person-ballots/770096 "2016-10-30T08:28:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-2-persin-4-person-ballots/770096/1 "2016-10-30T08:28:37Z")
Hi I had never heard of 2-person or 4-person ballots before. Are these for families? What is their purpose, how are they used and do all states have them? Are there other varieties like 3 or 5-person ballots? I couldn’t find any information to answer my questions. I look forward to your feedback ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-2-persin-4-person-ballots/770096/2 "2016-10-30T08:49:20Z")
I’ve never heard of them, either. What’s the context where you are seeing that phrase? ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-2-persin-4-person-ballots/770096/3 "2016-10-30T08:52:21Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I’ve never heard of them, either. What’s the context where you are seeing that phrase? I’ve heard them discussed by media and I’ve seen references to them online. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-2-persin-4-person-ballots/770096/4 "2016-10-30T08:54:51Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > I’ve heard them discussed by media and I’ve seen references to them online. Karl Rove mentioned them in the context of how the media evaluate poll numbers, but I haven’t hear how they are used or by whom. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-2-persin-4-person-ballots/770096/5 "2016-10-30T09:00:38Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > Karl Rove mentioned them in the context of how the media evaluate poll numbers, but I haven’t hear how they are used or by whom. In the context of a poll, I would be he meant that a 2-person ballot was when the pollster asked a voter “Do you prefer Clinton or Trump?” and a 4-person ballot is when the pollster asked a voter “Do you prefer Clinton, Trump, Johnson (the Libertarian candidate), or Stein (the Green Party candidate)?” ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-2-persin-4-person-ballots/770096/6 "2016-10-30T09:02:39Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > In the context of a poll, I would be he meant that a 2-person ballot was when the pollster asked a voter “Do you prefer Clinton or Trump?” and a 4-person ballot is when the pollster asked a voter “Do you prefer Clinton, Trump, Johnson (the Libertarian candidate), or Stein (the Green Party candidate)?” Thanks Alley Dweller. That makes sense.